Friend considering declawing their cat. Really don't want them to do it

Note that I go into a little detail about declawing if anyone doesn't want to read about it.

A friend of mine has a cute kitty, pretty healthy, and they are talking about having him declawed. He plays a little rough and does some minor couch scratching, but its all manageable. Some other cats my friend's had in the past were declawed, and they claim that there's some vet or something that does it really well and in a way that doesn't hurt them. 

My friend already knows what the procedure entails and that it's akin to amputating the ends of a humans fingers. She says they can learn to live with it, and they can, but it can be, at best disorienting to cats, and at worst causing long term problems and pain, and negatively impacting their personality.

My recently adopted cat was declawed at some point before I met her, and it worries me because she ran for the front door once, and got outside for a minute. She didn't keep running and we'll be on an even more careful lookout for her, but if she were to make it out and get lost, she doesn't have her first line of defense against threats. 

I really don't want this to be the case for my friend's cat just because they don't want to put in the effort to keep the cat's claws trimmed. Heck, I would even be willing to help pitch in some money to keep the cat's claws trimmed. 

I've never met a cat lover before who would have their cat declawed, unless it was for some sort of medically necessary reason. I know it's not my call to make, but I wish I could persuade my friend that this is really not a necessary thing to do to a cat.

Send this link to your friend.  Does she know Jackson Galaxy, who has the show "My Cat From Hell" on Animal Planet.

^^^ Awesome vid.

Great video. Thanks Red Top! I'll keep this in my arsenal of info!

For every cat about to be declawed, I wish the owners were forced to have their end joints of their toes removed.  Seriously force them to have their own removed, the bones/bone fragments placed in formalin and never to be reattached, THEN be able to consider amputation for the cats that cannot speak for themselves.  Anyone that has had a toe removed or any part of their foot removed will tell you that it alters their way of walking.  And these pro-declawers can't argue bipedal vs quadripedal movement either...weight-bearing is weight-bearing.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound frustrated with you.  It's such a sad situation that instead of educating oneself, they look at drastic measures like amputation as lightly as whether or not they want to buy that new shade of lipstick.  Add to it the vets that "reward" these owners with statements like, "well, the cat might not have been adopted out if it weren't for declawing it."  Actually, euthanasia really does seem to be a kinder option than a lifetime of pain and getting dumped back at the shelter anyway.

Good luck OP, and good on you for trying.  I sure hope you can convince your friend.

I understand your frustration Peaches. I think any pet parent does or has done some things that are selfish when it comes to their pet, but it's different to effect permanent, and harmful change on them for no really necessary reason. There are lots of better ways to handle it.

I'd really like to meet this vet that they claim declaws so well(and ask why  they declaw, though I have a guess about the answer). It makes me mad that this vet is likely reassuring people that this is okay to do to cats, and won't hurt them.

I actually had a discussion with a vet once (a friend of a friend) and asked why she offers declawing, which of course I find horrifying.  Like the vet mentioned above, she claims to do it well and provide adequate pain relief meds for the owner to take home, etc.  It is not something she recommends or does a lot, but she is of the opinion that it keeps cats in homes and out of shelters.  My usual approach of "why not just teach them to clip claws"  brought the response that "some people won't do this" and "some cats won't allow it."  Annoying but valid.  She is not a money grubbing sort and offers low-cost services for vaccines, spay & neuter, also treats ALL animals, including farm animals, not only small animals.  She does not do ear or tail cutting or debarking of dogs either. In the end, I just came to the conclusion that we are on different sides, and neither one of us is going to change. She is coming from the position of "people's rights rule" and I am coming from the position of "Cat's Rights Rule."  I don't agree with her point of view, but at least I now understand it.

Red Top Rescue said:

 
I actually had a discussion with a vet once (a friend of a friend) and asked why she offers declawing, which of course I find horrifying.  Like the vet mentioned above, she claims to do it well and provide adequate pain relief meds for the owner to take home, etc.  It is not something she recommends or does a lot, but she is of the opinion that it keeps cats in homes and out of shelters.  My usual approach of "why not just teach them to clip claws"  brought the response that "some people won't do this" and "some cats won't allow it."  Annoying but valid.  She is not a money grubbing sort and offers low-cost services for vaccines, spay & neuter, also treats ALL animals, including farm animals, not only small animals.  She does not do ear or tail cutting or debarking of dogs either. In the end, I just came to the conclusion that we are on different sides, and neither one of us is going to change. She is coming from the position of "people's rights rule" and I am coming from the position of "Cat's Rights Rule."  I don't agree with her point of view, but at least I now understand it.

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I generally roll my eyes when people say that vets perform declawing to increase their own income.  I've known very few vets who were well off, and each time they either had a bread-winning spouse or their family was wealthy.  But they were never wealthy because of their profession.  Matter of fact, vets often try their best to cut me breaks.

I am a little surprised that this vet won't do ear or tail cutting or debarking, yet will declaw.  I kind of don't get the "people's rights rule" with that since dogs don't walk on the ears, tail, or vocal cords.  I can actually make an argument for mandatory debarking of certain dogs (when neighbors can't sleep because of it) if rehoming is not an option.  Considering the number of cats that end up in shelters declawed, I have to disagree with her thoughts there.  But, I can appreciate where you're coming from that you're not going to change her mind.  I also have to agree that most owners are going to do what they're going to do, period.  I've had fellow cat owners give the most dumb answers as to why they left the cat for days with no food "It was just for the weekend, geez" or why they let their declawed cat out of the house "he wants to go outside" and other such nonsense.

Great video. I've tried to talk people out of the declawing process, I never get anywhere except frustrated and upset, I hope you have better luck than I do.
Good or you for trying!

peaches08 said:

 
I've had fellow cat owners give the most dumb answers as to why they left the cat for days with no food "It was just for the weekend, geez"

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Those are the same idiots who try to insist that cats are "no maintenance" pets. I've heard that comment numerous times when I bring up the fact that I adopted earlier this year, and I patiently explain to them how that isn't so at all.

I actually think very poorly of vets who refuse to do de-barking on dogs but will do de-claws on cats :/. A "de-bark" is a very minor procedure when a vet does it, really very non-invasive and not very painful. With no lasting ill effects. Which, as we know, is very different from a de-claw. De-barking a dog can keep the dog in its home and prevent abuse. . .whatever excuse you want to use for de-claws, you can use for de-barking as well. So really the only reason a vet would do de-claws but refuse de-barks is because they value dogs more than cats. Which certainly makes me think less of them.